Landon destroyed his room again last night, I won’t go into details, because who actually wants to hear all that, right? Most everyone probably has something they’re going through. Do you ever ask God why? I do! Do you ever wonder when you are going through something that’s really hard or really long (time wise), if you did something wrong to cause it? I do. 

So today cleaning Landon’s room, I asked God both of those questions. I really did. And this is what came to my mind immediately:

Question: Why, God?

Answer: So you will have compassion for others who are going through really hard circumstances.

Question: Did I do something to cause this…how is this fair? 

Answer: Did Jesus do something to deserve how he was treated and was it “fair”?

Well…I got my answers. 

Cleaning his room I probably used nearly a whole roll of paper towels. I really think God wanted to get my attention today so I could encourage someone who is struggling big time. (I got some undeniable confirmation the other day that something I wrote encouraged several people. Trust me…I know it isn’t because I’m some amazing writer…It’s only because God used it. He’s the one who’s amazing.) 

So if that is you, whatever overwhelming circumstance you are facing, I’m praying for you, my friend, and I love you. I know it’s hard in those trenches. Believe me…I know. I’ve been in my trenches for about 8 years now. I learn something new there almost every day. Some days are harder than others. But today my trenches are not about me, they are about you. 

I know it feels like forever, but it really isn’t forever….our lives are but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. Where our soul spends eternity is forever. If you know Jesus, that eternity is in the best possible place you can ever imagine….no more struggles, sickness, pain, or tears. Only, happiness, peace, and love forever. 

You can do this!! Jesus is right there helping you right now at this moment. Talk to Him and listen for His answer. He will answer you. Listen with your heart.  It may not always be what you want to hear, but He will answer. I can’t promise you an easy road, but I can promise you that you are never alone and you won’t ever be. 

Yesterday, I saw a quote with a picture of a truck traveling down a highway towards the sunset. It said “God is not just at the end of your journey, but He’s at every stop along the way.” I’m thankful for that truth. Especially when life takes us down some hard, bumpy, dusty roads. If we know Him, the end of the story will be our happily ever after. Just hold on and take comfort in that. 

Titus 3:4-7

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Your friend,

Tiffany

My mind is totally blown. God recently allowed me to see the tangible result of trusting Him and obeying His voice. I personally love when I can actually see results! Who doesn’t? It is so hard for me to trust what I can’t see, experience, etc. But I guess that’s what having faith is. Trusting, obeying, believing even when we can’t see the results (which is probably the case more times than not, here on this earth.) I’m so very thankful for those amazing times when God let’s us see a glimpse of what He is doing. 🥰🙌🏻🙏❤️

I know God always wants us to keep our focus on Him and not our circumstances, but sometimes this is so hard to do especially when we can’t see, experience, or feel something. (I definitely would never judge someone who is struggling with not tangibly seeing an answer to a prayer, etc.) I know I have some “trust issues,” but if we believe that God loves us, which He totally does, everything is going to be okay in the end. He will work all things out for our good and His glory. 

All of this made me think of the quote above about growth. Sometimes good and beautiful things are happening, but to the natural eye, it looks like total destruction and loss. But physically and spiritually good things, maybe even great things, are happening under the surface. Eyes on Jesus, faith in Him, trusting, even when we can’t see, is precious to Him.  ❤️

2 Corinthians 4:18

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Your friend,

Tiffany

Today when I was leaving the grocery store, Rescue by Lauren Daigle came on the radio. I’ve probably heard that song a hundred times. I’m not a huge Lauren Daigle fan, but I like the way her music sounds and the lyrics to most of her songs. Today, when I heard the song Rescue, I really felt in my spirit someone, somewhere needed to hear it. Then I just kinda brushed off the thought.

Do you ever do that? Do you ever feel like God wants you to do or say something but you second guess yourself? I do this a lot. I’ll think…well maybe I’m just thinking of it. Or maybe that song, verse, story, devotion is just for me. Or no one else really wants to hear what I have to say. Or maybe I sound too “preachy”? Or maybe I just overthink things. Hahaha!

More than likely, if you are living for God and what you are going to share, say, or do is encouraging, uplifting, and pointing someone to the Lord, it’s probably the Holy Spirit leading you to do it. 😊 If it encourages just one person, it’s totally worth it!  

So, I hope that the lyrics to this song encourage you if you need it. Jesus always sees you, finds you, and rescues you.  Even in the darkest of times. You are never alone. Walk by faith and not by sight. Listen for God’s gentle whisper. He’s always there.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Your friend,

Tiffany

Rescue (Lauren Daigle)

You are not hidden

There’s never been a moment

You were forgotten

You are not hopeless

Though you have been broken

Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath

I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army to find you

In the middle of the darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance

That cannot be covered

Over and over

You’re not defenseless

I’ll be your shelter

I’ll be your armor

I hear you whisper underneath your breath

I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army to find you

In the middle of the darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

I will never stop marching to reach you

In the middle of the hardest fight

It’s true, I will rescue you

I hear the whisper underneath your breath

I hear you whisper, you have nothing left

I will send out an army to find you

In the middle of the darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

I will never stop marching to reach you

In the middle of the hardest fight

It’s true, I will rescue you

Oh, I will rescue you

“If you want something done, do it yourself.” 

I’ve said this many times in my life. In fact, I really pretty much lived by it, until circumstances in life caused me to really depend on God and reach out to others for help when I needed it. 

I remember when I was in school and hated when the teacher would assign group projects. Every time (inwardly of course in true introvert form) I would sigh and feel like here we go again, I’m going to have to do most of the work myself so our group doesn’t make a bad grade. And even though it may not have been fair or fun, I’d put forth the effort, the project was completed, turned in, grade assigned. Easy. Or at least doable.  

But what about when no matter how hard you try, how much effort you put in, you find yourself in a situation where you can’t “solve the problem”, “complete the assignment”, or “get the job done”? You ask for help. You start to view your situation as a journey not really about a task to complete or a box to check off. You quit being so hard on yourself. You don’t expect perfection from yourself or others. You realize life is messy and complicated and you learn to be okay with that. You realize you need others wisdom. You appreciate those God brings into your life to learn from. You begin to truly care about what others are facing and pray for them. You treat others gently and kindly because you never know what they are facing in their own lives.

Reaching out to others doesn’t mean I’m lazy or not trying hard enough or weak. It means recognizing the times when a situation requires more than just my thoughts and effort and doing something about it. Sometimes it means doing something I’ve never done before and trusting God to get me through it. 

Honestly, it probably takes more wisdom and strength to reach out than to just “do it myself.”

Many things in life keep me humble. I’m constantly aware of the fact that I don’t have all the answers and that God is in control of my life, not me. If it were left up to me, I would have picked easier circumstances, problems I could solve on my own, results I could see. Instead, I have to walk by faith, pray a whole lot, let go of control, ask for help, work hard, and trust the Lord. All of this has caused me to have such an appreciation for others…to recognize their strengths (and weaknesses) as well as my own, and be thankful for them. I learn to go with the flow in the crazy roller coaster of life as a parent of a child with autism, a mom of a teenage girl, a wife of a CPA, a homeschool mom, and the list could go on and on. It’s a good thing to reach out for help when you need to. We weren’t made to do everything on our own.

Hebrews 6:10

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” 

Galatians 6:2

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

John 15:12

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Your friend,

Tiffany

Nothing gets lost. If you feel unsure or unsteady, lost or overlooked, or you simply need to be reminded again, let me be the one to do that. He sees you. He knows you—better than you could know yourself—and He waits with open arms, available with anything you need.

~Brian Houston, There is More

I read the devotion above this morning and kept thinking about it. It made me think of a song I recently played on the piano from Mary Poppins Retuns, Where The Lost Things Go. Part of the lyrics talk about how things aren’t really lost they are just out of place. If things aren’t going right it is easy to feel this way sometimes, but we keep trusting God has our life in His hands and He knows what He is doing. If we know Jesus, nothing’s really lost. Ever.

Isaiah 41:10 reminds us Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We can trust God to take care of us when things feel out of sorts.

Your friend,

Tiffany

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vJhKxcxQ60dvQXDqQ2PnK9zy1R0dopMX/view?usp=drivesdk

(Originally shared last year on 2/1/21.)

I know I share a lot about autism and yes it is probably because we deal with it on a daily basis. I wanted to share the following, not because I feel sorry for myself or because we’re having a harder time than usual dealing with Landon’s disability. I wanted to share it because I think it’s a pretty profound and very good example of how it feels to live with a child with autism. I’ve honestly never heard such a good analogy. The analogy is “having a child with autism is like living in the movie Groundhog Day.”

Awhile back I began reading a book which was recommended to Murry and I called Wrestling With An Angel (Greg Lucas). It is an excellent book written by a police officer who has a severely disabled son. If you are interested in seeing what it really is like living with a child with a disability, this is a great book to read. (Note: This is not a feel good book and kinda heavy, but very authentic and you might need some Kleenex if you do read it.) I guess the Groundhog Day analogy is a bit more light-hearted but super good and true!

A family member sent us the Welcome to Holland Poem awhile back and Murry wrote the following after reading the poem. I thought it was so good!!! Raising a child with autism is almost identical to living in Groundhog Day each and every day. We are so thankful for the encouragement, prayers, help and support we have received along this journey of having a child with a disability.

The following is what Murry wrote:

If you haven’t read WELCOME TO HOLLAND by Emily Perl Kingsley, I encourage you to read the long unabridged version. It is really good. 

However, I would liken our autism experience allegorically (not exactly of course) to Punxsutawney PA… specifically in the movie Groundhog Day. It is never a vacation… Holland or Italy doesn’t exist.  You are there to work. Like in the movie you realize that you were meant to learn that it isn’t about you and your dreams… you were meant to help others.   

Yet, in this world you learn that you will always be stuck in the same day even if you learn your lesson… whatever it is. Lol..  Knowing you will never see Holland or Italy… you are always in Punxsutawney. 

There are a lot of good things. You learn to play piano (or musical chairs), take CPR (literally for your child’s sake), save other people falling from trees (or autism panic and in other dark places)… hoping that you will do your part leading people to Heaven than you otherwise would. 

Also there are great people in Punxsutawney that are loving and helpful. But most of those people don’t know they are in Groundhog Day. Only those who are also living with a child with autism. 

If you know of someone who needs encouragement or someone to talk to please call a Christian who has a child with autism. We have had those people in our lives. They are always encouraging, always finding God in everything, and NOT always having the all answers… but knowing that He does. 

Your friend,

Tiffany

I read the following devotion yesterday and thought it was so good. It isn’t easy, but so many times we need to “hug our hardship” or like the devotion is titled “kiss the wave.” Whatever the obstacle is in your life, instead of fighting against it, go ahead and embrace it and allow it to teach you and change you for the better.

Habit 2: “Kiss the Wave”

The great preacher Charles Spur­geon, who suffered from depression and anxiety, said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” That is easier said than done, no doubt. But that is how spiritual growth happens. 

A few years ago, my wife, Lora, was diagnosed with cancer. Not long after, she came across a question in a piece of poetry: what have you come to teach me? It’s a difficult question to ask, but the answer might revolutionize your life! 

There is a God who can rebuke the wind and the waves with these words: “Peace, be still.” But before you rebuke the storm, you need to accept it. You can’t move past the pain if you ignore it or hide it or deny it. You have to confront the brutal facts with unwavering faith. 

Our ability to remember the past is a gift from God, but it comes with a caveat. We don’t always remember accurately. This fact reminds us that memory is both selective and subjective. As such, it can be a blessing and a curse. When we remember yesterday the wrong way, we live a lie. And living a lie undermines our ability to win the day. 

Sometimes we misremember—or try to forget—because the past can be incredibly painful. That’s where the second habit—kiss the wave—comes into play. You’ve got to own the past, or the past will own you. 

How? You have to accurately inventory your past, hiding from nothing. Then you have to own all of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is what it is. Or maybe I should say, it is what it was. You may not be re­sponsible for what happened, but you are response-able. 

Two people can encounter the same obstacle—a difficult diagno­sis, a bitter divorce, or even the death of a loved one—yet come out on the other side, very different people. One person owns his or her pain, while the other person is owned by it. One person becomes better, while the other person becomes bitter. 

The difference? You’ve got to kiss the wave that throws you against the Rock of Ages. You’ve got to come to terms with the pain that has made you who you are.

It’s time to kiss the wave!

Think on this: The obstacle is not the enemy; the obstacle is the way.

~Mark Batterson,Win the Day, An 8-Day Reading Plan 

James 1:2-4

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Your friend,

Tiffany

So Landon had a dentist appointment today to get his teeth cleaned. When we got there, Landon pulled off his shoes and socks. If you know Landon, you know that he despises shoes, socks, and basically clothes in general. We were waiting in the van, so it wasn’t a huge deal that he took them off until I had to find both socks and both shoes. How can a child lose both socks and shoes in a van with all windows and doors closed you might ask? Let’s just say Landon is the master of losing things/hiding things. He drops jewelry in boots, throws random kitchen utensils under his bed and throws clothes into the garbage can. Today he stuffed just one sock in the very corner of a pocket of a seat in the van. I’m frantically looking for it because you can’t very well take a child outside in the 30 degree weather without both socks and both shoes. I search in every nook and cranny until I finally found the missing sock. I’m not sure what the dental hygienist thought as she waited for me to put Landon’s shoes and socks on. Maybe she thought I’m just a scatterbrained mom. Maybe she thought Landon needs more discipline. Who knows. I do know that I no longer get embarrassed by the things Landon does or the way he acts. But I do get tired. And today was exhausting.

So we get checked into the dentist, had our temperature taken, hand sanitizer applied and walk to the big back room where there are several dentist chairs. Our hygienist is so sweet. She had seen Landon last time and she kindly asked us if Landon would prefer the spin brush or a regular toothbrush. I told her we use a spin brush at home, but told her he hates to see us coming with a toothbrush period, although we have brushed his teeth everyday for most of his life. (He is seven). 

So she gets out the spin brush and Landon grabs her hand and begins jerking and screaming and rips the disposable plastic off the chair in an effort to avoid the toothbrush. I’m doing my best to hold him down. Of course the scene causes the dentist to walk over and kindly suggest we move to a private room. So we pack up and move to another room. Take two. 

Landon knows what is going on now but of course you can’t reason with him. All he knows is one of the activities he hates the most is about to happen again. We believe Landon’s sensory issues get thrown in overdrive at times and toothbrushing is one of the causes. But he has to have his teeth brushed. Every. Single. Day. And here we are at the dentist hoping that the daily brushing is keeping his teeth and gums healthy.

So Landon starts resisting again and it takes myself and the hygienist to hold Landon down while the dentist cleans his teeth with a regular toothbrush. Through the screaming tantrum, the dentist is able to get Landon’s teeth cleaned without having a finger bitten off. 

Afterwards, she tells us he has another cavity, his gums have some gingivitis. We have to come back in a couple of weeks to treat the cavity and his older cavities with a type of stabilizing material so that the baby teeth can “last” until he gets his permanent teeth in. But she says if he gets cavities in his permanent teeth, we are looking at a visit to the operating room to fill the cavities.

Our daily attempts at brushing Landon’s teeth have not had the positive outcome we hoped for. As I sat there, exhausted from holding him down, I felt discouraged.  The efforts we had taken in keeping Landon’s teeth healthy had been futile up to this point. I didn’t know what to do and still don’t. But a verse came to my mind when I felt so frustrated. 

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

I don’t have all the answers. But I know Who does. And yes I do get tired, but I can’t faint and lose heart. The verse doesn’t say we might reap a harvest/benefit if we continue to do good it says we WILL. I have to hang on to that promise with Landon. I have to pray daily not to lose heart. I have to believe for good things to happen even when I can’t see it yet. I have to be faithful in doing good. 

Maybe this verse is for someone else today, too. If I can keep on keeping on, I know you can too. Don’t lose heart. Keep doing good. One day you will reap a blessing for it.

Your friend,

Tiffany

I shared the following yesterday on Facebook and they deleted it! Ridiculous! I shared it again because it is good! Thought I’d share it on my own site, too. I didn’t write it, just shared it from a friend. 

🙌🙌Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers, and Peters🙌🙌

Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they are in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. 

Raise them up to know the power they will walk in as children of God. 

Train them up in the authority of His Word. 

Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. 

Empower them to know they can change the world. 

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. 

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. 

He knew Daniel could handle the lions’ den. 

He knew David could handle Goliath. 

He knew Esther could handle Haman. 

He knew Peter could handle persecution. 

He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! 

Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose YOU to parent them! Teach them God’s love and to share it with everyone! 

Rise up to the challenge. 

Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters!  💪🏼

God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world. 

He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth!!!

Don’t let YOUR fear steal the greatness God placed in them. 

I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.

I’ve heard several people recently mention their word for the year. My first thought was, how cool! My next thought was that I didn’t have a “word for the year.” So I started praying about it. Almost immediately, the word purpose came to my mind. So, I looked up the definition of purpose.

The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. 

Purpose. I love the definition above for this word. There have been many times when I was uncertain about my purpose. Maybe because I couldn’t understand situations in my life. Maybe because I couldn’t see a tangible “result” in the natural world, in day to day life. It may seem a little strange, but as soon as the word purpose came to my mind, a sense of assurance came with it. Like God was saying “yes, trust me, rest assured that I’ve got you.” No, I didn’t have some huge revelation of some very important job or accomplishment I would do, but more like a gentle nudge of encouragement from the Lord to “keep on keeping on, that each day is not wasted if I’m living if for Him.” We don’t always have answers to questions, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have purpose and direction in our lives.

If you don’t have a “word for the year”, I encourage you to pray about it and see what the Lord reveals to you.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Your friend,

Tiffany